The present invention relates generally to electric switches and, more particularly, to housings for electric switches.
Electric switches are well-known in the art and are widely used to control electric motors, heating elements and other components in a number of different devices. For example, electric switches are particularly useful in controlling electric motors in small appliances such as food processors, slow cookers, blenders, fans and the like, and controlling heating elements in small appliances, such as portable heaters, ovens and the like.
Electric switches for use with small appliances and other types of devices often include a housing having a recessed base and a cover member, input and output terminals on the recessed base and one or more movable contacts within the housing. A movable actuator usually extends out of the housing through an opening formed in the cover member. In some electric switches the cover member is constructed so that the electric switch can be mounted directly onto a wall of the device with which the electric switch is to be used while in other electric switches a mounting plate constructed so that the electric switch can be mounted onto the wall of the device is mounted over the cover member.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,078 to C. P. Rao et al, there is disclosed a rotary electric switch for small appliances which includes a base and a cover member. The cover member has on its outer surface an integral square projection having a hub extending therefrom and a snap-in type arrangement for mounting the electric switch on to the appliance. The snap-in mounting arrangement includes a first latch member disposed between a first pair of clip fingers and a second latch member disposed between a second pair of clip fingers. In use, the cover member is mounted on a wall of the appliance with which the switch is to be used. Specifically, the wall of the appliance includes openings configures to snugly receive the square projection and the latch members therethrough whereby the wall is actually clamped between each latch member and its associate clip fingers.
Another housing for electric switches which is well known and widely used in the art includes a cover member having hook mounting fastener and a screw mounting hole for attaching the electric switch to the appliance. Specifically the hook is mounted into an opening in a wall of the appliance and a screw is inserted through a hole in the wall into the screw mounting hole.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,947 to C. P. Rao et al, there is disclosed a rotary electric switch which includes a housing having a cover member which includes a pair of mounting holes to enable the switch to be mounted onto the wall of an appliance with which the switch is to be used, such as by a pair of screws.
Another type of housing for electric switches which is well known and widely used in the art includes a cover member having threaded bushing for mounting the electric switch onto a wall of an appliance with which the switch is to be used.
The different types of housings disclosed above are widely used in commerce. However, it has been found that electric switches which comprise housings having mounting structures of the types described above are not easily and/or quickly installable, in some instances, onto a wall of a device.